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BY harriet;a:cheever 


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THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF 
BILLY TRILL 


THE YOUNG OF 

HEART SERIES 


ILLUSTRATED 

1. 

Hero^Chums . 

By Will Allen Dromgoole 

2. 

The Pineboro Quartette 

. By Willis Boyd Allen 

3. 

One Thousand Men for 

a Christmas Present, 



By Mary A. Sheldon 

4. 

Daddy Darwin’s Dovecote . By Juliana H. Ewing 

S. 

Little Patience 

By Laura E. Richards 

6. 

Rare Old Chums . 

By Will Allen Dromgoole 

7. 

The Strange Adventures of Billy Trill, 



By Harriet A. Cheever 

8. 

A Boy’s Battle 

By Will Allen Dromgoole 

9. 

The Man Without a Country, 



By Edward Everett Hale 

10. 

Editha’s Burglar . By Frances Hodgson Burnett 

11. 

Jess 

. . By J. M. Barrie 

12. 

Little Rosebud 

. By Beatrice Harraden 


Special Ccmer Design 

ott each V olutne. 


Each, Thin 12mo. 

Cloth. 50 Cents 

ESTES & LAURIAT, 

Publishers, Boston 





BILLY TRILL AT HOME. 




THE STRANGE ADVENTURES 


OF BILLY TRILL 


BY / 

HARRIKT A. CHEEVER 

M 

AUTHOR OF 

“LITTLE MR. VAN VERE OF 
CHINA,” ETC. 


IFllustrateli tig 

ETHELDRED B. BARRY 



PUBLISHERS 


me COPIES RECEIVED. 

2nd COPY, 



Copyright, i8g8 
By Estes and Lauriat 


^986 

/I- ^t2^^ 


Colonial press: 

Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co. 
Boston. U. S. A. 


TO 


iSuttcrbjortfj 

IN GRATEFUL AND KINDLY REMEMBRANCE 



CONTENTS. 




CHAPTER 

I. Where I Came from 


• 

t 

• 

PAGE 

. 11 

II. 

In thp: Bird Stoke 

• 

t 

• 

. 10 

III. 

In the Barber’s Shop 

• 

1 

• 

• 

. 26 

IV. 

At the (ioLi)CUPs’ . 

• 

• 

• 

. 35 

y. 

A Stray Bird . 

• 

• 

• 

. 45 

VI. 

At Sunfeeck Cottage 

• 

• 

• 

. 56 

VII. 

A Stolen Canary . 

* 

• 

• 

. 65 

VIII. 

Home, Sweet Home 

• 

• 

• 

. 74 


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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


Billy Trill at Home . 

. . 

PAGE 

Frontispiece 

“ Here T Was I^orn ” . 

. 

. 13 

Billy Trill . 

. 

. 20 

In the Barrer Shop . 

. 

. 20 


“‘Only Two I’hKvSknts!’ Suf: Exclaimkd, ‘and 


l^oTii OF You Have 'ruuEE. ’Tisn’t Fair!’” . 37 

“The lioY Flew at Her, Striking Out Right and 

Left ” 44 

“ How He Did JiARiv! ” 40 

A Homeless Ijird 57 

At Sunfleck Cottage ...... 50 

Billy is Stolen 3^ 

Davy 

Gretchie Again . a 77 



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4 I 







THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF 
BILLY TRILL. 


CHAPTER I. 


WHERE I CAME FROM. 


OME people call me Mr. Yellowcoat. Yet my coat 



^ is not half as yellow as what is worn by most of 
my family nowadays. I have pretty little cousins who 
are yellow as gold from the crown of the head almost 
to the tip of the wings, where they shade off nearly to 


white. 


Ah ! now you have found me out, haven’t you ? 
“ A bird,” you say. Yes, a canary bird, and what 
is more, I was brought into this country of America 
from my far-off native soil. 

Did you ever hear of the Canary Islands ? Oh, yes, 
studied of them in that book with the long name that 
1 have seen little people bending over while trying to 
fix the different places it tells of in what is called 
“ the mind.” Look on your map, and in the Atlantic 
Ocean, between North America and Africa, but much 
nearer to the African coast, you will see the Canary 


11 


12 THE ABVENTUBES OF BILLY TRILL. 

Isles, and, only think ! we are named for the land ot 
our birth. 

Come with me for a little while and see the island 
called Grand Canary, one of the largest of the group. 
This is where I first saw the light. A great many 
people think “ canary ” simply means “ yellow,” be- 
cause anything buff, or straw-coloured, or any such 
shade, is called canary -coloured. 

No ; you see, tiny creature that I am, there are bits 
of ears tucked somewhere on my little head, and as I 
have learned to listen hard to what is said in my 
hearing, I have gathered up, oh, so many things ! 

So I know that, years and years ago, these were 
called the Fortunate Islands.” And once I heard 
that “ canary ” came from a word meaning canine,” 
anything belonging to a dog ; and as tliere are many of 
those barking creatures in my home, I suppose it may 
have been from them that our beautiful islands got 
their name. 

Now open wide your eyes, because you will be de- 
lighted, I know, at much that you will see. Perhaps it 
may seem a little cold if the wind is northwest, but it 
is more likely to be blowing from the southeast, right 
over from the coast of Africa, and isn’t it warm ? Of 
course we are surrounded by water, as that is what 
makes any land an island, but, would you think it? 
we have no rivers, and sometimes water is dreadfully 
scarce with us, — that is, such water as one wants to 
drink. 

The ground looks queer, doesn’t it ? But ever and 


WHERE I CAME FROM. 


13 


ever so long ago there used to come smoke, flame, and 
hot stones out of the tops of these mountains all 
around, so that the ground is uneven in places, and 
looks as if it had been plowed. That was done by 
hot lava from the burning volcanoes. 


Let’s fly into this high bush. You can make be- 
lieve have wings and follow me for a little while. 
Now here is a nest made of soft moss, all lined with 
feathers or neatly matted hair. Here I was born. 
Over there is another nest, 
witli pretty little pale blue 
eggs in it. Strange that 
yellow birds should come 
from pale blue eggs, isn’t 
it ? 

What funny - looking 
people I ” you say. Yes, to 
you they do look strange, 
perhaps, but the Canary 
Islands belong to Spain, and the people arc dark, like 
the Spaniards ; but see what pretty eyes and hair the 



“ IIP:RE I WAS BORN. 


women liave. 

Was there ever a more charming garden of flowers ? 
I have heard that there were nearly a thousand dif- 
ferent kinds of plants and flowers in my sunny island 
home. And how you little people would like to try 
the fruits, which are of the sweetest and ripest to be 
found anywhere ! Lid you ever suck sugar-cane ? Oh, 
I have ever so many times, and there is identy of it 
here in the Canary Islands. 


14 TUE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 


Then such bananas ! Why, you think that you have 
eaten nice ones, but wait until you have eaten them 
ripened and sweetened by our hot sun and dry air. 
Then the dates and grapes ! We canaries know what 
it is to eat dates that taste like honey and syrup 
boiled down to a rich, thick jam ; but, dear me ! it is 
no use trying to describe them, or the grapes full of 
nectar, either. 

There are many other kinds of food here, such as 
people use : wheat, corn, sweet potatoes, olive oil, 
canary grass, from which comes our canary bird seed, 
and the plant called tobacco. I know what men do 
with the tobacco leaf. They make round rolls of it, 
then set it afire at one end, and hold the other end in 
the mouth, and out comes a smoke that nearly chokes 
a bird. I can’t begin to understand what makes men 
want to smoke up a little round roll of tobacco. But, 
then, there are a great many things a canary can see 
but not understand. 

Just now, I told you how scarce good drinking- 
water sometimes was with us, but there are times 
when heavy storms sweep over our islands, and the 
salt water rushes like a torrent through the streets ; 
you would think the whole place was one big river. 
Then the water will run off, and the ground will be 
perfectly dry, and remain so for a long time. 

You mustn’t think that because we are by ourselves 
in the great ocean that we have no city advantages. 
We have men high in office from Europe, called a 
consul and vice-consul, and then, what seems a mighty 


WHEBE I CAME FROM. 


15 


thing to me, there are wires under the water by which 
messages can be sent from our islands to either Eu- 
rope on one hand or to Africa on the other. 

Now, before I stop telling of this ocean island, my 
own Grand Canary, I must let you know something 
of the other birds that live here. The high trees 
and thick shrubs and tall cliffs are filled with little 
homes, and some of them are not so very little, 
either. 

There, high midst the branches of a thick-leaved 
tree, sits a queer fellow with a perfect mat of soft 
feathers covering his tough body, and, dear me ! it 
always scares me just to peep at his eyes. lie doesn’t 
see a thing as long as dayliglit lasts, but in the dark 
those great, staring eyes see everything. That is an 
owl. 

Once in a while, in the dark, dark night, you will 
hear a half whistle and a half moan : “ Too whit ! 
too hoo ! Too whit ! too hoo ! ” and then you may 
know that Mr. Owl is out looking for his dinner. 
He swallows mice down whole, picks up a stray 
chicken quicker than a wink, and if any little crea- 
ture tries to run through the grass, he will snap it up 
and whisk it down his throat or off to his nest like 
a flash. 

Here is a strange-looking bird, large and homely. 
His head and neck show the bare skin, and, ugh ! 
he isn’t nice at all. He eats coarse, impure food 
that a boy or a canary wouldn’t look at. He is 
called a vulture. We won’t stop to make his ac- 


16 THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 


quaintance. He looks greedy, and he is ; besides, he 
isn’t half dressed. We don’t want to know him, do 
we ? 

Now, here is a wonderful bird. And it may be 
hard to believe me, because it really is a big story for 
a mite like me to tell, but this is a falcon, and he is 
so tremendously strong that he can fly nearly a hun- 
dred and fifty miles in an hour ! He perches, like 
your eagle, on a high cliff, and cares neither for tem- 
pest nor rain. 

Look at that bird with the bold, saucy stare. He 
is full of mischief, and likes to get up a quarrel with 
any bird that will squabble with him. It is a magpie. 
Sometimes he learns to say a few words such as 
people use. 

So much for the larger birds. We also have a 
rich variety of smaller ones. Jennie Wren lives 
here, a little bird you know well. There are many 
fine feathers and exquisite wings in our islands. 

Now I come to our own family, the canaries. 
Don’t smile at the word ‘‘family,” for we are a 
very large one, I can assure you. What do you think 
of there being fifty varieties of canary birds ? Well, 
there are. I have noticed that people are fond of 
telling who they belong to, and what have been the 
family names way back with parents and grand- 
parents. 

We belong to the finch family. Some of us have 
been skilful in imitating the songs of other birds, 
and my cousins, the bullfinches, can whistle tunes 


WHEUE I CAME FROM. 


17 


and airs such as people sing. Even the ordinary 
canaries have been taught regular tunes. 

We feed chiefly on canary bird seed and rape seed. 
We dearly love chickweed, a hard-boiled egg, or a 
lump of sugar. Yet we have to be careful, because 
too many kinds of food will make us sick, and a sick 
canary is a very piteous little object, very piteous 
indeed. 

It is now nearly four hundred years since some of 
the canary family were first taken from their native 
islands, and put in cages to sing in places made of 
wood, brick, or stone, and called “ houses.” But we 
did not look the same then as we do now. Oh, no! 
Our coats or feathers were of olive green, shading off 
to yellow. Or often they were a greenish yellow, 
tinged with brown. Again they were just yellow and 
nearly black. 

And the little men of our family, oh, what beauties 
they were, and in their wild or natural state how they 
would sing ! Why, in the budding, flowering season 
when they were choosing their mates, they would 
whistle and trill in a perfect whirl of ecstasy and 
delight, their notes going higher and higher, and 
growing louder and louder, until once in awhile they 
would actually burst the tender little vessels of the 
throat, and then, alas for poor canary 1 

But this did not often happen. And although our 
sisters and our little sweethearts were sweet, pleasant 
singers, yet they did not have the strength of lung or 
throat that their brothers and lovers possessed. 


18 THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 

The longer the canaries were domesticated, which 
means were kept in cages and became inmates with 
human families, the more their showy coats paled and 
faded, until now far the greater part of us are dressed 
all in yellow ; yet we little morsels of boys often 
sport dark spots on our wee bodies. 

1 am called a very handsome bird, yet I wish to 
say it modestly, as not for anything would I be 
thought vain. I once heard a little girl say to her 
bird, “ Tweeny, you are a very vain little fellow, very 
vain indeed. You perk and preen and put on airs 
like everything.” 

I soon learned that vanity was a silly kind of pride. 
And perhaps Tweeny was vain, for he certainly did 
perk and preen and — yes, I think he even put on 
airs ; but from whom do you think he learned them ? 
Let me whisper : from no less a person than his little 
mistress herself ! 


CHAPTER II. 


IN THE BIRD STORE. 

I N speaking of being a good-looking bird a moment 
ago, my dress was not described, but there are rea- 
sons why it seems better to say something about it now. 
When we hear of friends we do not see, it is pleasant 
to be able to imagine how they look. So you can 
picture one with a little round head as yellow as gold, 
eyes black and bright as beads, and dark brown spots 
along my back and dotting my wings. Then the very 
tips of my wings are almost black, while my breast is 
so pale a yellow as to be almost white. 

Please do not think me vain, but I have heard 
people call my colours a very pretty combination, 
which I know must mean a pretty mixture of shades. 
While I was still very young, I found what a pleasure 
it was to sing. And as it became easier and easier 
to let the strains pour forth from my throat, other 
birds would come to listen. Alas ! I am afraid this 
made me truly vain. It became my habit to perch 
on a high, wide-spreading bush, give a long, sweet 
trill, then to take secret delight in watching younger 
birds, and older ones too, fly close at sound of the 
song-burst, and listen intently to the clear, wild 
melody. 


19 


20 THE AEVENTUUES OF BILLY TRILL. 

Did you know that such little creatures as birds 
could show kindness to one another ? Well, they 
can. After I had made the whole air ring with a 
lively carol, off would fly some of my mates that 
had been listening, and in a few moments back they 
would come, each with something in its bill. One 
would drop a seed before me, another a morsel of 
sugar-cane, another a scrap of sweet date, still another 
would have a grape pulp, and 
perhaps a bird with a strong 
beak would offer me a little 
piece of banana torn out from 
between the thick skin. 

One day I had been singing 
at the top of my lungs, run- 
ning up and down all kinds 
of notes, trilling as long as 
I could hold my breath, and 
doing my best to show off,” 
because 1 noticed how rapt 
two men — people, I usually 
call them — seemed, at what one little bird could do. 
They did not look like our islanders, but had white 
faces, and wore finely fitting clothes. 

Pretty soon I saw what I thought the very prettiest 
little house there ever could be. It was of shining 
wire, and had dear little cups at the sides, one hold- 
ing canary seed, the other, clear, sparkling water. 
As my long song had made me very thirsty, I 
hopped at once into the pretty house and began to 



IN THE BIRD STORK 




drink. Click ! a little door had shut behind me ; one 
of the men took down the pretty house, — you know 
all about it ! how it was a cage put on the bough to 
catch me ; and so off tramped the men, taking me 
with them. 

It isn’t well to dwell long on this part of my story. 
And after all, when I found myself on what was 
called a “ vessel,” and a little ca])tive, and knew 1 
was to be taken way off to another country, I did 
not feel half as badly as many birds would have, 
because I had no “ folks ” of my own. I think, if the 
truth were known, my father and mother had been 
taken, soon after I learned to fly, to the consul’s 
house, for 1 never saw them after I left the nest one 
morning, a very little bird. Brothers and sisters I 
knew nothing of, so when I was put in a queer room 
with only little port-holes to let in the light, and saw 
that over a hundred other birds were l)cing trans- 
ported — which means carried from one country to 
another — with me, it all seemed great fun, and I was 
prepared to enjoy it. 

But you see there are two sides to anything of that 
kind. In my wild, sweet woods all was gay and free 
as the sunshine and the light, and I little knew 
how I should miss spreading my brown and yellow 
wings and flying here and there, hither and yon, just 
as I pleased. Little canaries born in captivity, which 
means born in a cage, know of no other life, and are 
happy and contented from the outset, but there have 
been times when I would have been glad and thank- 


^2 THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 


ful enough could I but have been free again. Yet 
there has been very much to make me truly thankful, 
as you will see. 

I quite enjoyed “ sailing the seas.” On bright days 
we made a grand clatter on the old vessel ; one high 
trill from my yellow throat would set half a hundred 
birds going until the captain and a sailor would rush 
into the narrow place, and clap cloths over the cages, 
which would stop our songs at once, as birds never 
sing in the dark. 

After awhile I certainly expected to die of the 
cold. We poor little creatures would huddle close to 
each other, for the showy cage was only to catch us 
in and we were now in long cages, with eight or ten 
birds in each. Our songs grew fainter and fewer 
until no cloths were needed to hush our merry notes. 

But one day, after what seemed a very long time to 
a canary, we went straining and jarring up to a 
wharf, and some men came where we were, and 
talked and talked and talked witdi the captain. Then 
two cages full of birds were carried to one store in a 
great city, and others went to other places. We 
were all sold right off from the vessel. 

Oh, I can’t describe how strange it all appeared 
to me at the bird store ! So many interesting little 
objects were gathered there “for sale.” There were 
birds from far-off Australia, from Brazil in South 
America, some with most brilliant feathers; there 
were parrots, mocking-birds, larks, — poor, timid 
little things frightened almost to death; then there 


IN THE Bllil) STORE. 


23 


were curious creatures I had never seen before, not 
birds at all, but animals. Guinea-pigs with their 
white coats of smooth fur, and little shining eyes; 
monkeys running about in great homely cages, chat- 
tering in a most impolite way ; squirrels leaping over 
twirling wheels in high cages ; rabbits with pink eyes, 
and white fur ears lined with pink, and cute little 
white mice with pinkish ears and paws, scudding 
swiftly about, but alas ! like all the rest, their fleet 
little toes bounded by the bars or wires of a cage. 

People kept coming and going. Men would come 
in, look sharply about, buy a bird or an animal, and 
depart with a small cage under the arm. Then a 
clear-skinned, finely dressed lady would appear, go 
about, ask questions, and perhaps order something 
“ to be sent.” I soon came to understand that when 
anything was “ to be sent ” it was to go to some fine 
house, and I wished with all my heart that one of 
those fine ladies would buy me. 

Yet I really enjoyed the bird store. It was fun to 
watch the monkeys race, chattering about, stopping 
now and then to cuff each other ; then some of the 
birds disagreed, and, naughty as it was, I yet enjoyed 
seeing them fight and fly at each other. One morn- 
ing I saw a young mocking-bird seize another by the 
back of the neck, hold it limp and helpless in its bill 
and shake it until its poor little claws clattered and 
crossed so drolly, that, could a canary have laughed, I 
certainly should have laughed outright. You would 
have thought that when at last the little mocker was 


24 THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 

dropped it would have been stone dead ; no, up it 
hopped and went to fighting again harder than ever. 

By and by I got tired of the bird store.* The noise 
confused my little head ; it was none too warm there 
either, for the weather was called “ November,” and 
the ladies, to my wonder, began wearing soft furs like 
the coats of some animals. A great many people had 
looked at me during the three weeks I had been in 
the store, but no one seemed to wish to buy. I was 
learning more and more of the language each day, 
and all at once it popped into my little mind that if 
I wanted to be bought I must show that I could sing. 

No sooner had I thought of this than I remem- 
bered how many times a man had stood before me 
whistling softly or knocking an end of his jack-knife 
against the edge of a cup, while I looked on in 
silent wonder. Now I understood that he hoped by 
the gentle whistle or clinking tinkle to make me sing. 
Then I thought again how I had never sung a note 
since reaching the bird store, and as soon as I began 
to think of singing I wanted to try. 

Now, had I only been a little older and a little 
wiser, I should have known enough to have waited 
until some beautiful lady was noticing my fine little 
coat, and then poured forth one of my merry songs. 
But not being either old or wise, the next time the 
store was full of men, I suddenly “ took the floor.” 

Of course I had heard some one say that, or I 
should never have known what it meant, but open 
went my tiny bill, and, once I began, it became hard 


IN THE BIRD STORE. 


25 


to stop. My little body fairly shook and trembled 
with the strength with which the melody rushed and 
poured in runs and trills, in loud echoing notes, and a 
perfect rapture of sound until, with a grand outburst 
of high staccato notes, long drawn and oft repeated, 
I reluctantly stopped. 

Perha})s it had stimulated, which means urged, me 
on, that every man in the store gazed spellbound 
while I sang. As I ceased, the “ bird man ” looked 
triumphantly around, and said : ‘‘ There ! I told you 
so.” Then they flocked about my cage. One said 
“ five ” something, another “ seven.” But the bird 
man only shook his head ; No, not a cent less than 
ten,” he said. 

Finally a man with a very smooth face and a long, 
curling moustache, with a pin with a white stone in it 
in his necktie, and a ring with another white stone in 
it on his finger, sung out : “ All right ! here goes an 
X for little Billy Trill.” And he laid a crisp new 
bank-note on the counter. Only think, I had sold 
for ten dollars ! 

But, oh, dear me ! While I was wondering about 
the elegant house to which I was longing and expect- 
ing to go, I found that the man who had bought and 
also named me was what was called “ a barber,” and 
I was to be taken to another shop. 


CHAPTER III. 


IN THE BARBER S SHOP. 


NOTHER funny place. Rows of mugs behind 



glass cases made me think there must be no 
end of water to drink in this new store. The brushes 
sticking up in each mug taught me nothing. But 
you scarcely need be told that I soon found out what 
men came there for. Once in awhile a little girl 
slipped into a ehair to have her hair cut, but no 
ladies ever visited the plaee. 

“ Now,” thought I, here I shall have to stay all 
the rest of my life.” But I made up my mind to 
be a good little Billy, and do the very best I could. 
Let me whisper a word right here into the ears of 
boys and girls, because what I want to say is one of 
the things that I am very sure of, and we canaries 
can’t be sure of many things in this big, round world ; 
we are too little. 

Listen, then : when any creature whatever, whether 
a morsel of a bird, a little boy or girl, or a great tall 
I man, makes up his or her mind to do the best that 
can be done, there is no more to worry about, it is 
the very wisest plan that is, and it is almost always 
the sure way to success and to better things. 

So, when I saw two or three, or half a dozen, men 


IN rilE BABBER^S SHOP. 


27 


lying back all ready to be shaved, I would open my 
mouth before the barbers had a chance to open theirs, 
and about every man present after being “ groomed ” 
would come and talk to me. 

Pretty soon I began taking pleasure in pleasing 
others so well. The barber-in-chief, who owned me, 
had brought me to the shop in a mite of a wooden 
cage with thick close bars, just a little coop in which 
I had hardly more than room enough to turn around, 
but the next day he bought a cage which was much 
like the one in which I was first caught. The sight 
of it sent a pang into my tiny heart, for it carried me 
back to my beautiful home, and for a moment 1 
drooped all over, because, when a memory came, it 
seemed as though it was bigger than I, the whole of 
me, and was more than 1 could bear. 

But the barber called out kindly, ‘‘ Here, cheer up, 
Billy ! What’s the matter with you ? Ain’t going to 
drop down at sight of this brave new house, 1 hope ! ” 
So much good a few kind, cheerful words can do! I 
perked right up, thought of that new resolve to do the 
best I could, and went skipping about the new cage 
as merry as you please. 

Then I soon began thinking I was not so badly off. 
I was kindly cared for. The shop was generally 
pretty warm. The seed in my cup was never allowed 
to run short. My bath-tub of white porcelain was filled 
with fresh water every day. Clean paper made a 
nice carpet for my feet, and my drinking cup was 
kept polished and well filled. 


28 TUE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 


One of the barbers on coming from his lunch one 
day said, Here, Billy, I’ve got something nice for 
you, saved it from my saucer for your little bill,” and 
he stuck a lump of beautiful white sugar into a wdre 
of my cage. Do you think it stayed there very long ? 
Because if you do you’re mistaken. I pecked and 
pecked, until down came what was left, to my little 
floor. But my master said I must not be given too 
much sugar, or it would make me sick. 

Another day, a gentleman who had noticed me 
every time he visited the shop came in just after his 
lunch, and said: “I’ve brought something for Billy 
Trill he will soon nibble up, I’m thinking.” He 
twisted a green and white leaf through the gilt bars 
and watched to see me try it. 

Oh, dear me! dear me! Was ever there anything 
quite so good before ? They called it “ lettuce.” 
Why, I never tasted anything else so good in all 
my little life, never ! not even sugar. It was cool, 
crisp, and full of life, that is all the way I can tell 
about it. And it didn’t hurt me a mite, not a mite. 

After that I watched with all my little eyes when- 
ever the gentleman came in, and once in awhile he 
would have a leaf of lettuce and sometimes he w^ould 
not. One day I wanted one so, that, when he came in 
without it, I am ashamed to say I was so provoked 
that — what do you think ? I plumped into the porce- 
lain bath-tub and took a second ducking for the day, 
and — I found out something ! It cooled me off won- 
derfully. And I think that if little girls or boys, 


t ' 



V 


IX THE JJAHUKH SHOP. 






IN THE BARBERS S SHOP. 


31 


I scarcely dare say men, too, although I think it just 
the same, could only have a good ducking when they 
get angry and out of sorts, it would soon bring them 
to their senses, and do a sight of good. 

1 learned a good many things in that barber’s shop. 
I don’t know whether men talked there more than 
they do in other places, but they surely talked a great 
deal. It was fun Saturday nights. And it was fun 
on the night before what people call a ‘‘holiday.” 
Then the shop would be full way up to almost mid- 
night. Men would sit around waiting their turn to 
drop into one of the chairs, and be barbered. Mean- 
time they talked. 

I found out that what people call “ money ” was the 
chief thing in the world ; that a man who had plenty 
of “ money ” was an entirely different person from 
one who hadn’t much ; it made men say “ sir ” to 
other men who had considerable of it ; it was what 
brought happiness, contentment, and respect. 

Remember, this was how it looked to a young bird. 
There is a great difference between a young bird and 
an old bird. 

It did not escape my notice that my master had a 
great many chances to sell me. Very often men 
would say : “ Come, now, what will you take for this 
songster?” But there was always one reply: “I 
don’t want to sell Billy Trill.” 

One day a gentleman came in who wore a splendid 
coat with fine, soft fur on the collar and at the wrists. 
A beautiful ring was on one finger that at first looked 


32 THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 


like a plain, gold band, then, as the light struck it, my 
sharp little eyes saw that it was filled in with precious 
stones that people call “ diamonds.” Everything this 
man wore looked costly, although there was no show, 
and now I know that real gentlemen do not wear 
showy clothes. 

My master’s clerks ran to wait on this man. One 
took his coat and hung it up, another his hat, they 
said sir ” every time they spoke to him, and, soon as 
possible, my master himself began serving him. 

“ Now, Billy,” 1 said to myself, “ why not do your 
prettiest? You may not want to stay in a barber’s 
shop all your days. It is very lonesome here nights, 
and how much nicer it would be to live in a handsome 
house, where the street door wouldn’t open every few 
moments and let in the cold air, and where, perhaps, a 
pretty lady would take care of you, and children love 
to hear you sing ! ” 

Well, I did do my prettiest, or, rather, I sang it. 
All the time the gentleman was in the chair, I warbled 
and sang and trilled. I tried a song the mocking-bird 
used to sing in the bird store with so much sweetness 
that every one would keep quiet as soon as he began 
it, and, strange to say, I could sing like the mocker, 
come to try. And so I kept on until the gentleman 
arose from the chair. Then he came directly over to 
my cage. 

Birds and animals can tell a great deal from the 
looks of people’s eyes. And T knew from the look in 
the gentleman’s eyes that he meant to buy me. It was 


IN THE BARBETi^S SHOP. 


33 


not done in a moment. My master wished to keep me, 
the gentleman had determined to own me. While 
they were talking I broke into what must have seemed 
rather a sad little song, because I feared lest after all 
the barber would refuse to let me go, and now I wanted 
to go very much to the gentleman’s house. He spoke 
of “ children ” and “ Christmas.” 

It was no longer November, but people called it 
“ December,” and the weather had grown very cold, 
oh, so cold, that when the outer door opened, and the 
air rushed in, I knew that if I had to stay outside for 
any length of time I should surely be frozen to death. 

That sad little song did the work. The gentleman 
said something about its being a ‘‘ dreadful price,” but 
he laid down two of those crisp bank-notes, and I 
knew that I was sold again. 

After that, my master scarcely looked at me while 
I stayed in the shop, and seemed to feel quite downcast, 
and the clerks watched me with eyes full of regret. 
But the next day a man came to the shop with a cage 
as white as snow, except that at the top was a gilt 
ball, and over the little places that held the seed 
and water cups were what looked like little gilt 
umbrellas. 

Into this lovely new house I was invited to enter, 
and I hopped in with such an air that my master said, 
“ Well done, sir.” I felt grand and proud to think I 
had got so far up in the world as to be called “sir.” 
Towards night, I was covered, cage and all, with a 
thick woollen rug, taken to a close carriage, and 


34 THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 


whirled away. When I was uncovered, such a large, 
beautiful room as I was in ! 

What I found out that night was this : the name of 
tlie new people was “ Goldcup.’’ I was to be a Christ- 
mas present to Lizzie, the eldest little daughter. This 
was Christmas eve. The next morning I was to have 
a new mistress, Lizzie Goldcup. And I, Billy Trill, 
canary, was in one of the finest houses in the great 
city. What happiness ! 


CHAPTER lY, 


AT THE GOLDCUPS’ 



,NCE and for all I found out the next morning 


what takes place with people when Christinas 
comes. It is a great time for presents. The children, 
Lizzie, Susie, and Bertie, jabbered about what they had 
found in stockings that had been pinned up against 
the mantel the night I came. 

A queer little man, called “ Santa Claus,” was all 
mixed up with the chimney, sleigh-bells, the stockings, 
and what was in them. Really, I could not under- 
stand ; I was too small. 

When the children came to the nursery, where 
hung my cage, they found beautiful presents waiting 
for them. Bertie, the little boy, had picture-books, a 
Noah’s ark, and a smart rocking-horse. Susie had 
games, skates, and a sled. Lizzie, the eldest, had kid 
mittens, with soft fur cuffs, and a beautiful muff of 
dark, rich fur. She did not seem pleased or satisfied. 

“ Only two presents ! ” she exclaimed, “ and both of 
you have three. ’Tisn’t fair ! ” and out went her 
pretty lips in what people call a “ pout.” 

Now I knew very well that this was my little mis- 


35 


36 


THE ADVENTUEES OF BILLY TRILL. 


tress, and I must say it made my bit of a heart rather 
anxious, when I saw that pout. But she hadn’t spied 
me, and I thought the best thing 1 could do would be 
to break into a bright, cheery song. So I began. 

The children stood motionless from the moment of 
my first note, and as I felt that a good deal might 
depend on how well I pleased this new young mis- 
tress, you will readily believe that 1 trilled, and whis- 
tled, and carolled, until again my little body fairly 
fluttered with the effort and I was all tired out. 

Lizzie was perfectly delighted. She flew about the 
room, clapping her hands, declaring I was the sweet- 
est, the best, the most darling little canary that ever 
lived. 

“ It’s mine ! it’s mine, I know it is ! ” she exclaimed, 
and in a few moments her mother came in, a very 
pretty, but tired-looking lady, whom Lizzie rushed up 
to, kissed, and thanked for her dear, darling little 
bird. 

“ That is a present from papa,” jVlrs. Goldcup said, 
and pretty soon in came the gentleman who had 
bought me. He looked finely in a short velvet house 
coat, j)retty slippers of gray and white fur, cut very 
close, and a face all cleanly shaven. After Lizzie had 
jumped about and thanked him for her sweet birdie 
a good many times, he looked, I thought, a little 
sober, and this is what he said : 

“ You must remember, my dear child, that little 
Billy Trill is to be your especial charge, and will be de- 
pendent on you for care. You must be sure to feed the 


‘ ONLY TWO PRESENTS ! ’ 


SHE EXCLAIMED, ‘AND ROTII OF 

’tisn’t fair!”’ 


YOU HAVE THREE. 







AT THE GOLDCUPS\ 


39 


little fellow every day, see that he has fresh water to 
drink and for his bath, and that his cage is kept neat 
and clean. You are twelve years old, now, and must 
be my kind, thoughtful little daughter. Billy will 
repay your care, 1 know, with many sweet songs. 
To-morrow I will get him a cuttlefish bone, on which 
to sharpen his little bill. A hard-boiled egg, now and 
then, will answer for his turkey, and a leaf of lettuce, 
at any time, would delight his little heart. Now don’t 
forget.” 

All this made me feel that I had come into a house 
where everything was going to be very fine for a 
canary. I felt convinced, from all my little eyes 
could see, and all my little senses take in, that here 
was plenty of money, and as that brought happi- 
ness, contentment, and respect, I was in the best of 
clover. Alas ! before night I wished, with all my 
bit of a heart, that I was back in the barber’s 
shop. 

Soon after papa Goldcup went out of the room 
that bright Christmas morning, a woman with a 
tasty white cap on all trimmed with lace, and a clean 
white apron on, came to the nursery, and told the 
children that breakfast was ready. This was the 
nurse. 

But, oh, dear ! just back of her trailed a handsome 
little Scotch terrier, his blue-gray crimpy hair parted 
down the middle of his back, and his eyes half covered 
with crinkly hair. At sight of me he acted as though 
he had suddenly gone crazy. He barked furiously. 


40 THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 

made leaps in the air, and said, as plainly as a dog 
could say anything : “ Let me just get hold of you, Mr. 
Canary, and see how I’d eat you, crown, claws, tail, 
and all ! ” 

I trembled like a leaf at the little dog’s frenzy, hut 
I trembled far more at what followed. In the most 
unladylike way, Lizzie flew into a great passion. 
She screamed at Tibby, the terrier, called him “ a 
good-for-nothing little wretch,” and, opening the door, 
told him to “ clear out.” And as the hairy little 
fellow scrambled through the doorway, she gave him 
a sharp kick that sent him yelping into the hall, and 
I could hear his painful little “ yip, yip,” all the way 
down the stairs. 

Nurse said, ‘‘ For shame. Miss Lizzie, you ought to 
know better than to treat poor Tib so cruelly. You’ve 
taught him to bark at strangers, and the poor doggy 
didn’t know Billy, and thought he was doing right to 
bark at him.” But Lizzie turned on Nurse, and told 
her to “ stop preaching.” She did look a little 
ashamed, but you can imagine how this all seemed to 
me ; I was not too young, nor too ignorant, to ask 
myself how I was likely to fare at the hands of a 
young girl who would treat a loving, obedient little 
dog as Lizzie had treated Tibby. 

I remembered how, one night, a boy had come into 
the barber’s shop having with him a lively fox terrier, 
his trimmed ears erect, his short tail wagging with 
eagerness. I was just finishing a song as he entered. 
Like Tibby, he acted as though it would be joy un- 


AT THE GOLDCUPS\ 


41 


told to eat me whole. He spun around as if trying 
to catch his own loud bark. 

But his young master called out, “ Be quiet, Foxy, 
come here!” then, as the well-trained dog went nos- 
ing up' to the boy, his stumpy tail still wagging 
fiercely, his master stooped down, soothed him by 
passing a gentle hand up and down his sleek, spotted 
back, and said, “ Don’t you know, Foxy, that some 
other little objects have just as good a right to be 
heard from in this wide, round world as your ridicu- 
lous little lordship ? If you bark like that when T 
take you out for a walk, you will soon be invited to 
stay at home. Now, go charge like a gentleman, and 
don’t let me hear another growl.” 

The pretty Foxy, without having his feelings hurt 
in the least, had been shown it was a mistake to liark 
at a singing bird, and sat so quietly on his plump 
haunches watching me twitter about that I thought I 
would sing him a little song, and when 1 looked 
around to see how he liked it, what do you think ! 
he had run his pointed nose between liis forepaws on 
the floor and was fast asleep 1 I saw him often after- 
wards, but he never barked at me again. 

All this rushed through my mind almost before I 
had heard Tibby’s last faint yip, and I knew he had 
gone to the dining-room, perhaps hoping for a com- 
forting word from his master. 

For a few days my care was all that could have been 
asked. Lizzie put clean paper in the bottom of the 
white cage every day, which was not necessary, and 


42 THE ADVENTUBES OF BILLY TRILL. 

had I eaten all the different things put into my pretty 
house, I should certainly have fallen very ill. But I 
knew too much for that. 

One morning the nurse talked to Lizzie seriously 
about tucking so many things into my cage. ‘‘ Don’t 
you know,” she said, “ it would be enough to kill a 
canary to cram so much all at once ? It would be 
much better and more sensible not to begin so fierce, 
but to make up your mind to keep up steady care ; 
there’s danger that all this attention will soon run out.” 

Alas ! that was exactly what I feared. But 1 tried 
to find comfort in thinking that, if Lizzie forgot me. 
Nurse might be more thoughtful, and save me from 
starving. 

On Christmas morning the children had been much 
taken up with their games, books, candy, and toys. 
All the morning they chattered and played, and 
although once or twice I was afraid they were not 
going to agree, yet there were so many new things to 
amuse them that they got along very well. 

In the afternoon they went out to play, and I was 
glad to be alone awhile in the warm, quiet nursery. 
All at once Mrs. Goldcup came in, and the next 
moment I heard the pattering of Tibby’s little feet. 
He flew into the same rage as before, and Mrs. Gold- 
cup, instead of quieting him, and showing I was not 
to be barked at and frightened, said, in an impatient 
tone, “ Oh, you tiresome creature ! ” and, opening the 
door, she ordered him out, and shut him into the hall. 

She looked about a moment or two, went to the 


AT THE GOLDCUPS\ 


43 


window, and gazed into the street a little while, but 
she said never a word to the little 'stranger in the 
cage, and she surely did not look happy. Why should 
that be ? Here was a beautiful house, fine furniture, 
soft carpets, people to do the work, pets to please and 
cheer her, and, yes, there must be plenty of the magic 
thing called “ money.” 

Ah, could it be that I had made a mistake in my 
little bird mind ? Was not money indeed the chief 
thing in the world ? Did it not always bring happi- 
ness and content ? 

The next day was stormy, and the three children 
were obliged to remain in the house all day. Such 
an unhappy, unhappy day as it was! No peace or 
anything like it. At last Susie brushed by the spot 
where Bertie had stood up the animals in his Noah’s 
ark, and her skirts tumbled them all down. The boy 
flew at her, striking out right and left, and Susie, in 
trying to push him off, fell up against Lizzie, who 
was reading a book. 

Well, I can’t describe the scene at all ; I don’t 
know how ; only there was such a noise, such a 
screaming, crying, and scolding, that Mrs. Goldcup 
came running up to see what was the matter. Nurse 
tried to explain, but could not make herself heard, 
and when it grew a little quieter, Mrs. Goldcup told 
the nurse that if she couldn’t manage the children 
better, she should have to find some one who could. 

Poor Nurse 1 She needed the money earned looking 
after the noisy children, and she fell to crying at the 


44 THE ADVENTUHES OF BILLY TRILL. 


unjust blame she had received. But Bertie had a 
kind little heart, for all his quick temper, and he 
climbed into Nurse j’s lap, begging her not to cry, 
and promising to be a better boy. Nurse told him a 
nice little story, and the room grew quieter. 



“THE BOY FLEW AT HER, STRIKING OUT RIGHT 
AND LEFT.” 

But the children did quarrel dreadfully. With 
everything about them to enjoy, they really enjoyed 
but very little. Nurse said the trouble was, they 
had altogether too much. I know now she told 
the truth. Poor Nursey ! She had a hard time of 
it, and with all my heart I pitied her. 


CHAPTER V. 


A STRAY BIRD. 

J UST now I was pitying Nurse. It was not long 
before I pitied myself. If it went to my heart 
when Nurse advised Lizzie not to be so fierce in her 
attentions at first, but to be sure and keep them up, 
it went still more sharply to my poor little stomach 
when she began neglecting me. 

At first, she fell off about the paper which was my 
carpet. Instead of having a fresh one every morning, 
I was glad to get one at the end of a week or ten 
days. In this time, she would not even shake it out, 
but would only give me seed and water. 

Now, no one who does not stop to think can imag- 
ine how very trying this is for a poor bird. We have 
acute little senses, small as they are, and the odour of 
seed-pods, old water, and broken bits of cuttlefish 
bone is not very pleasant for one thing, and then 
for another, where seed, sand, and other bits are 
allowed to stay too long in a cage, our little claws get 
all balled up, which is far from comfortable. 

But all this, I can assure you, seemed like nothing, 
beside the dreadful suffering of great hunger. For 
yes, the days came when, from morning to night, 

45 


46 THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 


Lizzie would go flying about, thinking nothing of the 
brown and yellow mite, who could not sing a note for 
very starvation. And as it was Lizzie’s work to look 
out for me, no one else seemed to give poor Billy a 
thought. 

Perhaps, after not having had either seed or water 
for two whole days, she would all at once say, “ Oh, 
dear me, I almost forgot you, Billy ! ” And I would 
think that, could I only speak in the language of 
people, I would cry out, indignantly, ‘‘ Almost ! ” 

If you can believe it, I went twice for three days 
without a morsel either to eat or to drink, and then 
it was Nursey who remembered me, and fed me. 
Had I known of some great king or queen upon 
whom I could have called to have pity, how with all 
my feeble strength I would have called ! And then, 
to make it all the more hard, when at last she did 
remember me in time to save my life, Lizzie would 
say, “ Oh, Billy, what a little bother you are ! ” I 
wished with all my little might and main I could fly 
away, and stop bothering her. 

Tibby never learned to like me. How could he ? 
No one ever taught him the least show of manners 
towards a little creature smaller than himself. Two 
or three times when Nurse and the children were 
away, he scared me nearly out of my senses, barking, 
flying around, and making the most fearful rumpus. 
What happened one day I shall never forget, never ! 
not if I live to be gray with age. 

Every one was out of the house except Tibby and 


A STHAT BIRD. 


47 


myself. I heard, through the half-open door, his 
quick jumps over the stairs. The next moment, he 
was in the room. He must have made up his little 
doggy mind that this was the day when I had better 
be made way with, once for all. How he did bark ! 
He worked himself into a perfect rage and roar, and 
his eyes looked as though sparks of fire came out of 
them. 

A tall chair, with a sharp, pointed back and stuffed 
arms, stood near the window. Up he sprang to the 
arm of the chair, and from that to the window-sill. 
Then he made a mighty spring, and almost caught a 
paw in the lower part of the cage ; but he missed it, 
and fell heavily, right on the pointed carving at the 
back of the chair. He struck with so much force I 
wondered if a bone snapped, but all my fright turned 
to pity at the difference in the noise Tib made after 
he struck that chair. He fairly howled with pain, and 
I wished, as hard as I could wish, that some one 
would come and take care of him. 

The poor fellow had grown weak with crying and 
pain when Nurse came running over the stairs. As 
she picked Tibby up, one slender leg hung limp and 
useless. “ Oh, yes,” Nurse said, “ I see. You made 
a great jump in hopes to catch poor Billy Trill, and 
you must have banged against the chair and broken 
your leg.” 

The next time I saw Tibby he was going on three 
legs, and very slowly at that. The fourth little limb 
was a mass of bandages. If he chanced to hit it 


48 THE ABVENTUEES OF BILLY TBILL, 


against anything, he would yelp piteously. Much as 
I pitied him, he seemed only to hate me the more 
since the accident. Once I heard some one say that 
people usually disliked any one whom they had in- 
jured. Poor Tibby had only tried to injure me, but 
he still hated me, and never turned his wicked little 
eyes towards my cage without growling. 

Another day, I began to discover something. Nurse 
and the children were down-stairs, when Mr. Gold- 
cup came into the nursery to look at a window that 
needed fixing in some way. Then Mrs. Goldcup 
came in, and asked, in a complaining tone, “ Can’t 
you make inquiries among some of your friends, and 
see if you can’t hear of a good nurse for the children ? 
Pm all tired out hearing Nurse say she can’t control 
Lizzie and Susie.” 

‘‘ No, I do not think that is a duty that belongs to 
me,” Mr. Goldcup said ; ‘‘ ladies find nurses, not men. 
And I can’t help saying, I do not think Nurse is to 
blame at all for the way that our little girls behave. 
I do not think they should be allowed to act as they 
do. No nurse could manage children who are not 
properly trained.” 

I think I felt what “ respect ” meant for the first 
time, as Mr. Goldcup spoke, and I respected him for 
speaking so plainly, and with so much justice. But 
why, pray, did not he, who was so fine a gentleman, 
train his children himself? Ah, his next remark 
showed why. It did not show him to have much 
courage, I thought, yet — men love peace. 


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A STIiAY BIRD. 


51 


“ There is so much trouble,” he said, “ if ever I try 
to straighten things out for poor Nurse, that I have 
given up trying in despair ; so when she goes away, — 
as she means to, next week, for she told me so, — you 
will have to do what you can to get some one in her 
place. I only hope you will find another as good a 
woman.” 

Then Mrs. Goldcup began to cry, and said no one 
else in the world had so hard a life as hers. No pity 
from any one, especially from her husband, who ought 
to be always ready to help her. Everything, she said, 
went wrong. The world was a hard place to live in, 
and there was very little happiness in it, very little 
indeed ! 

And, yet, here was plenty of money, that I had 
thought bought every possible good. But surely Mrs. 
Goldcup was neither happy nor contented, and even 
I, a little canary, could feel but small respect for a 
parent who allowed children to behave so badly that 
a willing, faithful nurse would not stay with them. 

I soon found that Mrs. Goldcup had not really 
wanted Nurse to go away. She called her to the 
nursery, after the children had gone to bed, said she 
was a good girl, and tried to make her believe that it 
would be a great mistake to leave so fine a situation. 
Then she offered her considerable more money to 
remain. 

But Nurse said, slowly and soberly, “ No, money — 
is — not — everything,” and nothing that Mrs. Gold- 
cup could say made her change her mind. 


52 THE AHVENTUBES OF BILLY TBILL. 


Now this was very bad for me. The winter was 
slipping away, but it was very, very cold outside. I 
knew it by the way the wheels crunched along over 
the hard ground. Not a green leaf was to be seen 
outside of the windows, and Susie still took her 
skates and went to the frozen pond. And if Nurse 
went away what would become of me ? I should not 
have been alive then, had it not been that she had 
filled my little cups several times. Lizzie was so 
heedless, so selfish, so little fond of any one but 
herself, that it made me heartsick to think of having 
Nurse go, for although some one else would probably 
come, yet she might never think of the hungry little 
object in the white cage. 

Well, Nurse went the next week, as she had said, 
but it was not at all easy finding the right one to 
take her place. Miss Lizzie and Miss Susie had to 
look out for themselves. Bertie was always the best 
of the three. And now came the very hardest days 
I have ever seen in all my little life. The morning 
before Nursey went away, she put clean paper in my 
cage, washed my cups and the little bath-tub, filled 
both seed and water cups full, and scattered seed on 
the floor of the cage. I knew what that meant. 

I made both seed and water last as long as I could. 
Then, after two days spent without food or drink, 
Mr. Goldcup, who was by far the kindest one of all 
the family, saw my condition and fed me. He also 
talked to Lizzie about the cruelty of forgetfulness 
where a living creature was concerned. She fed me 


A STRAY BIRD. 


53 


a few times after that ; then it was so hard, so very 
hard for me, that I made up my little mind I could 
not live long, but still I was determined to do the 
best I could, and when I was hungriest, 1 would sing 
and sing, in hopes the longing song would remind 
Lizzie of her duty. Alas ! it did not. 

I was growing nearly discouraged, when, one mild, 
sunshiny day, Mrs. Goldcup came into the nursery, 
and opened a window at the top to air the room. As 
she went out again, I noticed that the door of my 
cage was pushed slightly aside. Could 1 open it 
wide enougli to squeeze my little body through ? A 
wild desire to escape from the cage, from the house, 
seized me. Aly heart went pit-a-pat, fairly knocking 
against my tender sides at the thought. The air 
swept in at the window, full of wintry chill. Would 
I freeze in a few moments? Would I find food? 
Oh, food, food ! I was nearly crazy for it ! 

At that, down I hopped. With my strong little 
bill I did push back the cage door far enough to get 
out, and, without stopping to think any longer, out 
I flew into the open air. It was not so dreadfully 
cold. Perhaps I could find the barber’s again. But, 
oh, dear ! Once I was actually away from the house 
I could not possibly have found my way there again. 
Well, I didn’t want to, and whatever came 1 was 
going to be brave. 

What I wanted to see was an open window. It 
darted through my mind that I could sing, that I was 
called a beautiful singer, and that I must be a valu- 


54 THE ABVENTUBES OF BILLY TRILL. 

able bird. And almost any place would be better 
than the Goldcups’, where food was the scarcest 
thing I knew of. And, oh, joy ! There was an open 
window, and in such a big, big house ! 

In I flew, and all I could think of was how beau- 
tiful it felt to be where it was warm again. The 
wind had chilled me through and through, although 
I had not flown far. But where was I ? No signs 
of food were to be seen. I was in the largest 
room I had ever dreamed of, and as a great door 
stood open at one end, I knew there must be other 
rooms. 

I flew out to a large hall, then down some stairs. 
In a queer, plain room was a common wooden table, 
and on it were crumbs. Lots of crumbs ! How I 
did eat ! Nothing I had ever tasted before, neither 
seed, sugar, boiled egg, nor even my favourite lettuce, 
ever seemed half as delightful as those simple crumbs. 
Sometime there must have been a supper there, for 
the crumbs were still sweet, although rather hard, 
but, oh, they were so welcome ! 

When I had stuffed myself until I think I must 
have swelled, and I really ached with food, I flew 
back to the great room. It was filling with people. 
I hid in a groove high up in a wooden arch and — 
what do you think ! After the long seats were filled 
with people, I heard wonderful music from a great 
object that was all pipes as far as I could see. But 
stranger still, a man got up on a high, raised place at 
one end of the great room, and told about a great 


A STB AY BIRD. 


55 


Being who made the world, made men, and every- 
thing, and yet cared for the birds ! 

That must have been why I hadn’t starved. It 
isn’t a king or a queen I needed to call on when I 
was so hungry, it was this kind Being. Two things 
I have never forgotten since that time : one, that 
there is a great, kind, wonderful Being, who cares 
for birds; another, that the hardest days I ever saw 
were in the house of a rich man, and in a beautiful 
cage of white and gold. 


CHAPTER VT. 


AT SUN FLECK COTTAGE. 


FTER the people went out of the great room, a 



man went about closing up everything. He 
made it so gloomy I felt like drooping with loneliness. 
Then when he went out, I flew down again to the 
queer, plain room. Only crumbs enough remained 
for my dinner and supper. 

I passed a lonely afternoon. In the evening some 
people came to a large room down-stairs, and talked 
and sang, but I was tired out, and fell asleep on a 
soft cushion in one of the long seats. 

The next morning the crumbs were all gone ; no 
one came to the great building, except a man who 
entered one of the lower doors, which he left open 
after him. I could not stay in so lonely a place, and 
where all signs of food had vanished. So fluffing out 
my feathers to make them thick and warm as pos- 
sible, away I flew again, — a poor, homeless little 
canary. But let me whisper, — I wasn’t frightened 
a bit, not one bit ! 

1 perched for a few moments on a tall tree, to look 
around, but boo ! how the wind went through my 


56 


AT SUN FLECK COTTAGE. 


57 


little yellow sides ! It seemed to me my little bones 
must have turned blue. It wouldn’t do to stay 
perched, that was certain. So off I started, and 
although the wind cut me as I sped, yet the unusual 
exertion of flying gave a slight glow to my sensitive 
body. 

On, on I went, but not an open window did I see, 
and I was going over broad, busy streets, where the 
buildings were high and grand, and did not look as 
though people lived in 
them, but merely used 
them to carry on busi- 
ness in. So I turned 
into some side streets, 
and pretty soon I came 
to a low, stumpy little 
house, set in the middle 
of a tiny garden. The 
house was very small, 
but at once gave me a 

, A HOMELESS BIRD. 

thought of home. It 

was what people call homelike.” And there was 
a window open two or three inches at the top. 

Thankful for almost any shelter, in I flew, and 
perched on the upper edge of a hanging liookcase. 
The room was very quiet. In a great armchair sat 
an old woman with a funny cap on. It had a wide 
ruffle all around it, and I thought it made her sweet 
old face look all the sweeter. She was fast asleep. 
Very soon a door opened, and in limped a little girl 



58 THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 


not more than ten years old. Her hair hung in two 
braids down her back, and was almost as yellow as 
my coat. She was very lame, but such a good face 
as she had ! She shut the window softly. How cosey 
it all was ! 

Then the old woman opened her eyes, and a soft 
voice said : “ Aweel, my goot Gretchie, you’ve got 
t’ place all cleared up while grandam slep’, haven’t 
you ? Vot a spry little vooman you are ! ” 

The child hopped about with a queer limp and 
spring, so used had she got to her lameness. “ Yes, 
grandam,” she replied, “ we’re all in order now, and 
I’m ready to work with you awhile.” But — I was 
hungry again. 

“ Now,” I thought, “ I ought to let them know I am 
here, then I know they will give me something to eat.” 
And so I began, softly at first, but singing gradually 
higher, and with many musical trills, in hopes to 
please the simple people I already liked so much, and 
with whom I wanted to stay. 

In thinking it over now, I almost know any one 
would have laughed at the scene in the humble home, 
as my song rolled forth. The old grandmother’s 
eyes grew large, and her mouth opened in surprise as 
she looked up, and up to the top of the bookcase. 
“ Gretchie ” stood stock-still in the middle of the 
room, her hands clasped tightly before her, like those 
of a child I once saw in a picture, and that some one 
said was praying. 

When I stopped no one spoke for a moment, then 




AT 8UNFLECK COTTAGE 




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AT SUN FLECK COTTAGE. 


61 


the old grandma said, “Ah! t’goot Got sent t’little 
birdie to cheer us, He did so 1 ” 

“ Oh, grandam ! ” said Gretchie, “ it’s a canary, a 
dear little canary, but I’m afraid it’s a little run- 
away, too. Perhaps it won’t be right to keep the 
little darling,” and she looked very sober at the 
thought. 

“ Aweel, aweel,” answered the grandma, as if 
that idea was unwelcome, “ go now, and get t’dicky- 
bird’s cage, and when Fritzy come, we’ll tell him 
about t’l)irdie’s coming, and see what he say. But 
get t’cage, t’poor starling might be hungry and 
t’irsty.” 

Off went Gretchie with her hop and limp, and she 
soon returned. “ 1 never expected to have another 
bird, when Dicky died,” she said, in a voice that trem- 
bled, “ but if we can only keep this little dear, how 
happy I shall be ! ” 

She disappeared with the cage, and was gone what 
seemed to me a long time ; then back she came with 
the cage neatly cleaned, brown paper on its floor, the 
])lain little water-cup full, and the seed-cup filled with 
soft, delicious crumbs. A little sauce-dish held water 
for my bath. 

“ Come, sweety-tweet,” she chirped, “ we haven’t a 
bit of bird-seed for you to-day, but to-morrow you 
shall have some, and if you’ll only stay with us, such 
care as you shall have.” Then she stood off a little, 
and watched me. 

In an instant I was inside the cage, pecking eagerly 


62 THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 


at the welcome food. ‘‘ Look fare, now,” said the 
grandma, ‘‘ f little honey-pot was almost starve. Oh, 
f poor mite of a starling, fare no knowing how far 
f little wings have fly. I hope f little f ing won’t fill 
his little pipes so full he burst.” 

Perhaps there was danger of it. So I took a long, 
sweet drink, and then, plump went my body into the 
clear, shining water of the bath. 

Such a lovely home as I had found ! And yet there 
were no riches there. Far from that. Gretchie did 
most of the work, her grandma sometimes directing 
her, and Fritzy helping, what little he had time for. 
The grandma was old and infirm, and seldom left her 
deep armchair, except to go at night to her bedroom, 
close by. She knitted all day long on coarse woollen 
mufflers and mittens sent her from the great store 
where Fritzy worked. Any spare time that she had 
Gretchie also spent in knitting. 

When the darkness began creeping on, at close of 
the day, Fritzy came home, — only a boy ! A bright- 
haired, rosy-cheeked lad of fifteen years. How happy 
and cheerful they were ! My story was told over 
and over, but Fritzy looked grave as he said, “ Oh, 
yes, I must tell about the birdie, and see can we 
hear of an owner.” 

But, to my great joy, after a peaceful week had 
rolled by, Fritzy said he could hear of no one who 
had lost a canary, and Gretchie said, gleefully, that I 
belonged at Sunfleck Cottage. 

Days of sweet content followed. I learned by 


AT SUN FLECK COTTAGE. 


63 


heart the useful lesson, that money is not the chief 
thing in the world, and it is not great luxury that 
makes the home. Rosy-cheeked Fritzy worked hard 
from early morning until evening. Gretchie never 
was idle, and never for a day was 1 forgotten, or my 
cage allowed to go uncleaned. 

People who knew and loved my simple friends came 
often to see them, and seldom without bringing some- 
thing nice for the old granddame — she was an old 
German dame, well known and respected by many 
friends. 

I was treated to the best they had. Bits of date, 
the inside of a rich fig, a grape pulp, or even a pep- 
permint, gladdened my atom of a palate very often. 
Wliat was all the grandeur of the Goldcup house, 
where I nearly starved, to the cosey quiet, the constant 
treats, the care, and the calm content of this humble 
home ? 

When the sun shone into the bright sitting-room, it 
came through the boughs of a tall tree outside, and 
fell in spots or flecks along the floor ; from this they 
named the little home “ Sunfleck Cottage.” I sang 
to these kind friends my choicest songs. I think 
my voice sweetened with the dainties to which I was 
almost daily treated. I had lost my name of Billy 
Trill in coming to them, but what of that? I had 
gained love and a home. By and by I will tell you 
how I got my name back again. 

I could have stayed at the cottage for ever, would 
have been glad to then, but this was not to be. My 


64 THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 


fine voice was to lure me to a different home. Could 
a canary have shed tears, I should have ruined my 
little eyes with weeping, when, after three lovely 
months, 1 was rudely borne away from dear, peaceful 
Sunfleck Cottage. 


CHAPTER VIL 


A STOLEN CANARY. 



HE winter passed, and spring came. Spring, 


A with its buds and blossoms, its leaves and flow- 
ers. On pleasant days, my little mistress would hang 
my cage on a hook outside of the house. This was a 
great delight, as the outer air, now that the sting of 
cold had gone, was like fresh life to me, and then it 
was great pleasure to see people passing, and to hear 
the songs of other birds. I was out of the reach of 
dogs and pussies, and in the gladness of my little 
heart such a thing as fear never entered it. And so 
good and pure was my little mistress, that thoughts 
of harm or danger for me I know never occurred 
to her. 

But one warm, sunshiny day, Gretchie, after plac- 
ing my cage outside, started out on an errand, going 
slowly along, as she always did in the street. She 
turned, waved her dear little hand to me, and soon 
was out of sight. Alas! I was to see her no more 
for many days. 

I peeped in at the window, and saw the old grand- 
dame asleep over her soft wools. She always had 
that morning nap. Then I broke into a merry song. 


65 


66 THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 

Suddenly something startled me. Two boys, poorly 
dressed, and with unclean faces, were creeping towards 
me from a thick shrub. Had I been less frightened 
and had my wits about me, I might have broken into 
an angry twittering, and perhaps have scared them 



BILLY IS STOLEN. 


away. But their movements were so sly and spry 
that, before I had time to think of anything, one had 
mounted to the shoulders of another, and caught down 
my cage. 

Then back to the shrubbery they rushed, and one 
boy opened my cage and cautiously caught me in his 


A STOLEN CANARY. 


67 


hand. I was clapped into a little wooden cage, like 
the one I had been put into when the barber bought 
me, my plain but roomy cage was left in the shrub- 
bery, and the guilty young thieves started away with 
me in their hands. 

The boldness of them ! They made no attempt to 
‘ hide me as they tramped along. Then a strange 
thing happened. I all at once saw my old master, 
the barber, approaching. Oh, would not he know me, 
and rescue me ? No ; yet as he passed he gave me a 
sharp look and said, “ Ha ! you look like Billy Trill ! ” 
One of the boys laughed coarsely and said, ‘‘ No ; I 
guess not ! ” But as the barber went on he turned 
to his comrade and remarked, “ That isn’t a bad 
name for a bird, is it ? ” 

Then they tramped on and on. I wondered what 
dreadful place they would take me to, and if I 
shouldn’t soon starve again. I was still quite a 
young bird, you see. 

The boys soon entered an electric car, rode a long 
distance, then got out in what looked like another 
city. I was relieved when they turned into a wide, 
quiet, beautiful street. Pretty soon they stopped 
before an elegant house, handsomer even than the 
Goldcups’. They talked together a moment, then 
went up the marble steps. As the bell rang, a 
coloured man opened the door, but soon closed it 
again, saying if they had anything to sell they must 
go to the basement. 

But just then a fine earriage stopped before the 


68 THE ADYENTUBES OF BILLY TRILL. 


house, and a lady, prettily yet simply dressed, got 
out. The moment I looked into her eyes, I loved 
her, and. wished that she would buy me. She had 
kind eyes, full of gentleness and goodness. 

I have always felt soriy for those boys, but I think 
perhaps they did not have good parents to teach them 
what was right. They told a wrong story, all about 
being so poor they must sell a pet canary. But they 
spoke softly, and looked sad. I think the lady be- 
lieved them. 

“ What is his name ? ” she asked. ‘‘ Billy Trill,” 
at once answered the boy who held me. 

“ I know it would please poor little Davy, espe- 
cially if he is such a singer as you say,” the lady 
murmured, looking very sober. 

I do not know how much she paid for me, but the 
boys looked greatly delighted, and she took me in her 
gentle hands, and carried me herself into the grand 
house, over a wide staircase, and into a large, sunny, 
elegantly furnished sitting-room on the second floor. 

‘‘ See here,” she said, in a most cheerful voice, 
holding up the mean little cage as she spoke. 

A pale little fellow, with yellow hair, the bluest of 
eyes, and, I am sorry to say, not a very happy 
countenance, looked up as she spoke. 

‘‘ Ho ! ” he said, “ Another canary. ItTl be just 
like Trippit, that never sings a note. But it’s a pretty 
little cove,” he added, at sight of my mixed coat. 
“ He looks as if he must be some relation to Mammy 
Moll.” 


A STOLEN CANARY. 


69 


The next moment I thought I should have died of 
fright. The boy was seated in a tufted chair so wide 
and deep it looked almost like a bed. He straight- 
ened himself to take me, and there beside him was 
an enormous cat. And, now that it is easy to speak 
of her calmly, I must confess she was the very hand- 
somest creature I had ever seen in all the animal 
kingdom. She was yellow, black, and white. Where 
her coat was yellow it was bright and clear as gold ; 
where white, it was pure and clean as new snow ; 
where black, it was deep and shining. 

They called her a “ tortoise-shell cat,” and this 
because her glossy colours were like those of a 
tortoise, a kind of turtle from whose case of shell 
are made exquisite combs, the handles of fans, and 
many other things. The colours are different shades 
of yellow, brown, and black. 

Puss looked at me with gentle eyes, and with no 
signs of wanting to devour me, like Tibby Goldcup. 
Yet a cat is to a bird what a tiger would be to a 
little boy, and I flew wildly to the side of my cage, 
and peeped loudly at finding myself so close to 
one. 

“ Oh, ho ! ” said Davy. “ I wish this silly little bird 
could know that Mammy Moll wouldn’t touch him, 
not even if he were hopping about on the floor.” 

But even at these comforting words I was thankful 
when the kind lady said, “Well, we won’t let the 
poor little thing suffer from fear, and — what do you 
think his name is ? ” 


70 THE ABVENTUBES OF BILLY TRILL. 


Davy’s face broke into a smile at the sound of 
“ Billy Trill.” “ I like it,” he said. 

I heard the promise of a fine new cage, and was 
given canary bird seed, water, and — oh, delight! — 
a leaf of lettuce. ‘‘ See him gobble the lettuce, 
mamma,” Davy said, with another smile, and his 
white little face was beautiful, when it lighted up so. 

“ Now, Billy,” 1 said to myself, ‘‘ some Being has 
brought you into another lovely home, and you must 
show how thankful you are by singing one of your 
best songs.” So, after clearing my throat with a 
drink of water, I began. At first my song was 
gentle and low, just a soft little tune ; then it ran 
higher, clearer, broke into trills and ecstatic runs, — 
a kind of wild, unmeasured carol. Davy’s great blue 
eyes never left me a moment, and intoxicated, 1 
think, with my own melody and the boy’s attention, 
I went on and on, until, breaking into a gay, trilling 
roundelay, 1 twisted and twisted with the strong 
fervour of my song. 

What was my surprise, as I finished with a loud 
swelling of triumphant “ cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, 
cheeps ! ” to see Davy tlirow back his little golden 
head, and burst into a perfect passion of tears. His 
mother could not keep the tears out of her own eyes, 
as she tried to calm and quiet him. 

‘‘ Oh, mamma, mamma 1 ” he sobbed, “ I shall love 
him better than Mammy Moll, or Trippit, or Daddy 
Rex. Let me hold him, please ; you may take Mammy 
Moll away if you will. ” 


A STOLEN CANARY. 


71 


He soon grew calm as his mother stirred up the 
great cat, and gently pushed her to the floor. Then 
as she put the cage in his hands, she said, “ Now, 
Davy, I’m going down-stairs awhile, and as Nurse is 
dusting the library, why don’t you amuse pretty Billy 
by pretending to tell him your story, and something 
about your home ? It would be great sport, I think.” 

Mammy Moll had gone over by the fireplace, and 
looked mild and sleepy, yet I was immensely relieved 
when she got up and followed Davy’s mother from 
the room. I eyed my little master in silent hopes to 
hear the story his mother had proposed. How little 
he imagined I could catch and understand every word 
as he began : 

“So you’re little Billy Trill, arc you? Well, I’m 
just goin’ to love you awfully, name and all. I think 
Billy Trill’s just right for you, and you sha’n’t be 
anybody else’s little bird, never ! My name’s Davy 
Graham. I can’t run about like most peeps o’ my 
age, ’cause once, when I was a baby boy, my nurse let 
me fall out my baby carriage, and my back ain’t been 
right ever since. But doctor says one these days I’m 
goin’ to walk well’s anybody, if I just keep patient 
and don’t try to step for ’bout a year more. 

“ I’m seven years old, and sometimes I’m good and 
patient, and sometimes I ain’t. Papa says I’m all his 
little sons and daughters, so I ought to behave well as 
ten children would.” 

Davy stopped to giggle at this, and I felt like 
laughing, too, at such a funny idea. Then he went on : 


72 THE ADVENTUHES OF BILLY TRILL. 


‘‘ They do lots to please me, papa and mamma do, 
and Niirscy Jess is nice, too, only she won’t give me 
things sometimes that I’m bound to have. I don’t 
try making papa or mamma give me things now, after 
they’ve once said ‘ no.’ ’Tisn’t any use. Papa says 



he loves me too well to spoil me, even if I am his 
poor little Davy, with a weak back. And mamma, 
she always iips and does just as papa does. They’re 
a jolly papa and mamma, though I sometimes wish I 
could manage them a little more. 1 can’t; they’re 
bound to manage me, so I have to let ’em. 


A STOLEN CANARY. 


73 


Papa’s a lawyer, and 1 guess he’s got some 
money, but he says money is to spend, and to enjoy, 
and to do good with, and not to think too much of. 
But he says he wants me to get strong and well, so 
he can make a little ‘ legal man ’ of me one of these 
days. Nursey says that means a little lawyer. 

“ Down-stairs, we’ve got Daddy Rex, a great rolling 
St. Bernard, — a big, big dog. But he never hurts 
anybody, or anything that belongs to the house. He’s 
older’n I am, ever so many years. 

“Mammy Moll has had five hundred kittens, — ” 
Davy giggled again, and I think I must have looked 
pleased, — “ she never fights the least grain, unless 
some one pesters her little cats ; then she claws, and 
spits, and lumches up her back like a hoop. I don’t 
know what becomes of her kits ; Jess says some of 
them ‘ don’t live.’ I bet Thomas, our butler, knows 
what they die of, — Jess says she doesn’t. 

“ But I forgot. Papa says I mustn’t say ‘ I bet,’ 
’tisn’t gcnt’manly. In the dining-room is Trippit, our 
other canary. She is all yellow as gold, but doesn’t 
sing. She only chirps. We like her, though, ’cause 
we’ve had her five years. 

“ Now, that’s ’bout all I know. Norah, the cook, 
weighs ’bout a ton, I guess. She shakes the house 
when she walks. Once in awhile I go out to ride, — 
oh, and I’ll tell you what! When I go to get your 
cage, Billy, I’ll take you with me 1 ” 


CHAPTER VIIL 


HOME, SWEET HOME. 

S O I had the family history as far as I cared to 
know it. And highly delighted I was, I can 
assure you, to find into what a lovely home I liad 
come to stay. Yes, here my wanderings were to 
cease, and I was to become one of the most beautiful 
of families. 

You will easily believe that I longed to go down- 
stairs, and make the acquaintance of Trippit, the 
other canary. But this was not to be just yet. 
When 1 saw Mr. Graham I liked him, oh, very much ! 
I suppose he is my master-in-chief, although I am 
always spoken of as “ Davy’s Billy.” 

It was quite funny, and they all laughed about my 
new cage, for I never got it for three months. This 
was how it happened : Davy’s mamma had promised 
him that when the cage was bought he should help 
select it. They were all very much amused, papa, 
mamma, and Jess, when he told of having promised 
me that I should go with him to get the cage. And 
one thing I will say for my little master, — he was 
quite conscientious about a promise he made any 
one. His parents never disappointed him, if it could 

74 


HOME, SWEET HOME. 


75 


be helped, and they always tried to assist him in 
keeping a promise. 

But one thing and another prevented getting the 
cage, although Davy had been to drive a few times 
when it was not thought best to take him from the 
carriage. Then one soft, sweet day in September, I 
was taken in my little master’s hands to the carriage 
to visit the store where cages were sold. Then a 
most remarkable thing happened, one for which I 
have always been much happier. 

Thomas carried Davy — still holding me — from 
the carriage to the store, placing him in an armchair 
while he was shown the different cages. All at once 
a little girl limped in. In an instant 1 saw that it 
was Gretchie. So glad I was to see her that I 
chirped loudly. She turned, and looked at me. “ Oh,” 
she exclaimed, “ that looks exactly like my dear little 
birdie that was stolen away last summer ! ” 

Mrs. Graham heard what she said, and asked if 
her birdie’s name was Billy Trill. Gretchen shook 
her fair head. “ No, I never called him that,” she 
said. You will remember that Gretchie had never 
heard the name. But all she said made Mrs. Graham 
feel that I really had been her bird, and that those 
boys had stolen me. And although I should have 
felt very badly then to have left the Grahams, even 
for pleasant Sunfleck Cottage, I could not help acting 
as though I knew the little girl who had been so very 
kind to me. 

So what was my great joy when Mrs. Graham said 


76 THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY TRILL. 

that Davy had become so fond of me that it would 
break his heart to give me up, but she should insist 
on giving Gretchie another bird, and a pretty new 
cage, also ! The man where we were had a few choice 
canaries for sale, and Mrs. Graham bought a fine 
singer, which was put into a shining cage and ordered 
to be sent to Gretchie’s home. Then she asked 
Gretchie if she should feel perfectly satisfied. 

“ Oh, more than satisfied ! ” she replied, clasping 
her hands before her, as she always did when much 
pleased. “ I was always afraid Billy might belong to 
some one else, but this new birdie shall be another 
Dicky for me, and I shall know he is my very own.” 
So she bade me good-bye, with a happy face, and 
limped off with a half hop, forgetting, in her joy, to go 
slowly when away from home. 

There was just one elegant cage in the store with 
white and gilt ‘‘ trimmings,” and here and there a 
little shading of brown. Davy said it just matched 
me, and so it was bought. This cage has been my 
home for seven years. Once in that time, it was sent 
away for a few days, then came back all freshly 
gilded and tinted. 

1 had not been Davy’s little bird very long, when 
my cage was hung on the piazza one day, and beside 
it was another beautiful cage, with a pretty yellow 
bird inside. This was Trippit, the other canary. 
You can imagine how happy I was to find myself in 
the company of one of my own family. We became 
acquainted at once. And a dear, sweet little creature 



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HOME, SWEET HOME. 


79 


I found Trippit to be. She was not very strong, 
however, and did not sing. J>ut it set her going a 
little to hear me, and once in awhile we sing a little 
duet. Davy keeps as still as a mouse when we do, 
and says it is the sweetest of music to his ears. 

Daddy Rex is the most perfect gentleman of a dog 
1 ever saw. The first time 1 appeared on the piazza 
he eyed me a bit jealously, as if he considered me a 
stranger, and so he growled in a way to make my 
little canary heart flutter. But his master — who, by 
the way, has dark, fine eyes, that even a bird can see 
mean character back of them — said, soberly: “Now, 
now ! None of that, Rex, old boy ! Little Billy 
Trill is one of us now, and if you worry him I shall 
be very apt to ‘ make you dance canary.’ ” 

1 almost laughed, that sounded so funny. But I 
found that one of the wisest of people that ever lived 
and wrote, a man called Shakespeare, says somewhere, 
“ And make you dance canary, with sprightly fire and 
motion,” so I think perhaps a lively dance was once 
named for us sprightly little fellows. 

One day Trippit was so sick that our kind mistress 
sprinkled some yellowish powder into warm water, 
which she called “ mustard water.” Into this she 
put Trippit’s little claws and legs. Trippit told me 
afterwards I wouldn’t have believed how good it felt, 
although it burned a little. Then she gave her two 
drops of smooth medicine, called “ castor oil.” 

Trippit had seemed so sick, and huddled so close to 
a corner of her cage that day, that I dreaded to see 


80 THE AJ)VENTUliES OF BILLY TRILL. 


her the next morning. But — would you believe it ? 
— she was so much better that we sang a short duet, 
to Davy’s delight. 

We are such a peaceful family that life seems to 
me like a pleasant dream. Trippit says it seems so 
to her. I think she grows stronger all the time. I 
love little Trippit very dearly. 

I am no longer a very young bird. I have learned 
a good deal in my life thus far, and as canaries are 
said to live fifteen or sixteen years, or even longer, 1 
may live long enough to become a very wise bird. 

1 do not stay in my cage all the time. Very often 
I fly all about the room, stopping sometimes to nibble 
at a lump of sugar on Davy’s shoulder, and, — can 
you believe me ? — with Mammy Moll lying on the 
floor, her sleepy eyes half open, I am not in the least 
afraid to perch on the arm of a chair, within reach 
of a quick spring. I know in my little heart that 
Mammy would not harm me. And Daddy Rex is 
never happier than when his great, shaggy lordship 
is lolling on the beautiful hearth-rug in the up-stairs 
sitting-room. He and Mammy Moll often go to sleep 
side by side. 

In cold weather there is a lovely fire in the great 
open fireplace, and I have seen Daddy Rex fast asleep 
on the rug many a time, with two or three of Mammy 
Moll’s kittens racing and frisking about all over him. 
The nearest approach I have ever seen here to any- 
thing like a quarrel, 1 must tell you about. Davy 
screamed with laughter, and I felt my little round 


HOME, SWEET HOME. 


81 


sides puff out with what, I think, were kind of inside 
giggles. A canary can’t laugh out, you know. 

One cold day, Jess, the nurse, brought three pretty 
kittens, only a few weeks old, and very cunning, to the 
sitting-room, for Davy to play with. Mammy ^loll 
was purring before the fire, and, after the little kits 
had frolicked in Davy’s chair until they were tired, 
down they scrambled and over to the rug, where they 
went to sleep on one corner. Pretty soon in strode 
Daddy Rex. The kittens were in a droll little heap 
on the shaded border of the rug, which matched the 
colour of their coats, and, for once, great, splendid 
Daddy did not see them. What happened the next 
moment, 1 am sure he could not imagine. 

Mammy ^foll, with her back pointed up just like a 
camel’s in Davy’s Noah’s ark, and with her tail for all 
the world exactly like the round brush they clean the 
lamp chimneys with, flew at Daddy in the most un- 
ladylike manner, and first spit in his face, then clawed 
him sharply, at the same time giving the most piercing 
“ me-ouw ! ” Meantime, a little squally chorus of 
squeaks and squeals from under him made poor 
Daddy bound to the floor, his tail held out straight, 
his ears cocked high, and giving a long, low growl, 
that sent Mammy Moll’s babies rushing to her in 
great affright. 

It was all over in a moment, but Daddy Rex’s visit 
up-stairs was spoiled for that day, and with a most 
dignified, injured air he turned and left the room. 

Now, in the midst of great plenty, great content- 


82 THE ABVENTUBES OF BILLY TBILL. 

ment, and the best of care, 1 think that little Billy 
Trill will have to say Good-bye.” I hope and 
expect to end my days in this best of places, my own 
“ home, sweet home.” 

Davy has long since become like other boys, and 
while he loves me still, and I think always will love 
me, I rejoice with all my little heart that he can come 
and go, spending his schoolboy days more happily 
than most lads who have never known what it is not 
to be able to run about freely, and as they pleased. 

Let the little people remember that resolving to do 
the best I could proved a great blessing to me. That 
love and kindness 'are the best things there are in the 
world. And that there is a great and good Being, 
who cares for the birds, and wants them always to be 
treated with thoughtfulness and kindly care. 

















